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By James E. Powell
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CyberMedia Oil Change
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Can't Get Enough
Getting the latest drivers often involves a nightmare search. But it could get a little easier.
CyberMedia and VailSoft are introducing proactive subscription services that will keep your system up to date. These offerings scan the online universe for the latest files and automatically notify you when an update is available. Both see their products benefiting software and hardware companies, since users who download updated drivers and software don't call tech support nearly as much.
CyberMedia's Oil Change ( http://www.cybermedia.com) dials into the company's Web site or BBS. It scans your system, compares results with a database, and offers a list of relevant updates. You can view the descriptions and decide which ones you want. At your command, the program downloads the files (via ftp) and can even install them. The $70 program (annual subscriptions cost $30 thereafter) notifies you when a new update is found. The company also plans a corporate version.
VailSoft's offering ( http://www.vailsoft.com) is a pay-as-you-go service that provides add-ons, custom controls, drivers and patches for developers. VailSoft also searches for updates and notifies you when they're found. Subscribers pay a monthly fee of $2.95, plus $1.95 for each item received and 50 cents for each notification.
You must specify which products you want, and there are no automatic installs.
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